Love and Destiny (2019)

So as much as I love the original TMOPB, and rated it 9, I also skipped a lot of the draggy bits, yet still enchanted by the love story. I can’t say the same about this drama. Around the 30ish episode, I just feel it’s too long, too drawn out unnecessarily, and wonder when it would end! Unlike TMOPB, which I skipped so much, but the bit that I did watched was truly divine, so I forgive it. This one, I barely skip, not because it was so good that I can’t miss, but if I do, I might miss some plot development, and find myself looking at a lot of plot holes, and therefore, it’s just long.... so it gets another minus point for forcing me watching everything, to find out half of the stuffs are pointless! If you are planning to watch this, and feel the same here is the list of characters you can skip their storyline and won’t miss anything: the dark princess, thirteen (that character should not even existed! However Si-ming is such a funny character that you must watch, and because of that, you must stomach thirteen >_> Actually I’ll list who you should watch: the two leads, the 2 main supports, Si-Ming!

While the chemistry between the leads are good, you don’t get a lot of those truly divine sweet moments until like the last 2 episodes =.=?! Their bed scene is as hot as YH and BQ In TMOPB, but it was short and seriously at the second last episode >_>

The drama as a whole was supposed to be 3 arcs, arc 1 = way too long, but not too bad. When Ling Xi committed suicide by throwing herself into Jiu Chen’s sword, the drama got really exciting. However, arc 2 is just long and drawn out, seriously while you are poor and don’t have money for food, yet have this peach tree that gives out so much fruit, yet you don’t even eat just 1 peach!!!! Last I check peach is very fulfilling! You can eat peach for a meal or two if you can’t afford meat/veggies/rice -.- and then arc 3, it likes there is no urgency, seriously, I got to like 57 and feel like it can just end at anytime because there is no build up to anything -.- and the last two episodes, while don’t have a rush feeling, is pretty quick at ending everything, to the point it makes no logical sense!

In TMOPB, They at least explain to you what happened: YH’s soul got shattered and took him sometimes to collect himself back together to reborn. In this? First the two leads are supposed to be in a darkness pit that they can’t be rescued out, but she did get out... 2nd, it seems he got locked inside some sort of black portal, but he somehow managed go get out???? The same portal that supposed to seal the other evil dude??? “Trust me, I’ll get out”. Last 5mins, dude appears, I know it’s a magical series but seriously, this is like The director say we must have a happy ending and making sure it happen no matter what! I’m also so annoyed with how they keep going on about Jiu Chen should not help Ling Xi while she’s human because then it makes everything moot point, yet he continually be down there, messing with it! And also her sister helped the king and in a sense, helped her get out of the first “death”, how is that not messing with fate! This series continually bit its own tongue -.-

And unlike TMOPB, while the second lead couple is decent, it’s not as pulling the heart string as the original. I went into this series without much expectation, I’m not disappointed, I just felt my time is wasted on this series. It feels even more so when I get to the end and don’t know why the series spend time on all these characters that give no real significant to the story! As in, sure, they play a key factor in propelling the story forward, but you do not need to spend more than 30mins in total with them! I’m looking at you, thirteen! By the end of the series, I can confidently say I dislike thirteen the most! What’s an utterly waste of time character that was! Designed to waste your screen time, for absolutely nothing!!!!!!

Would I recommend this series? No... I wanted a tug your heart string series, only about 2-3 times I feel that way while watching it. And if my review feels like a mess, it’s how this series feels to me, a mess! There is no real urgency, no real dramatic moment, apart from when she killed herself, it’s just blah.

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Excruciatingly long, for no reason

I don't normally write reviews, but whew?. After finishing it I was left with so many questions about what actually happened. What was the point of the entire story?

What happened to Zhong Hao's Adopted son after he escaped? Jiu Chen's Desciple? When did they even conceive a child? ( It couldn't have been when she was drunk). WHAT WAS THE WHOLE POINT OF THE CAT AND MOUSE GAME AFTER LING XI RETURNED FROM HER TRIAL? How did Jie Chen escape the demon realm when the previous God of War could not? Why was Yaun Toung always spared even after committing so many murders? WHY WAS NOBODY GUARDING THE SPIRIT CHAINING ABYSS EVEN AFTER JIU CHEN' S MASTER DISCOVERED THAT THE GATE TO THE DEMON REALM HAD BEEN UNSEALED? And after he found out that he had went to try and seal it, why didn't he go to help his desciple? He had helped the previous God of War from the outside, did he suddenly think that Jiu Chen had a clone?

In the end, I wanted everybody to die because I was pissed off about the entire thing.

I only finished it because of Ni Ni and Chang Chen (the actors, not their characters, because they became unbearable as well) . Otherwise, do not waste your time. I recommend you watch The Rise Of Phoenixes instead.

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At first I was not enthusiastic to watch as I thought Chang Chen/God of War Jiu Chen was not as attractive as Mark Chao/God of War Mo Yuan in TMOPB. But after a few episodes, gosh I was captivated by his charm.
I then learned that Chang Chen is international famous actor, he is a great actor. He was nominated several times at international film awards such as at the Berlinale and the Cannes. In 2018, he was the only Asian actor who served as one of the juries at the 71st Cannes Film Festival.

Chang Chen is very fit to play as Jiu Chen, the powerful God of War. I fall in love with the perfect character of GOW Jiu Chen, he has a very high powerfull & respectable potition in Heavenly Realm. He is the best of the best in war, smart, wise, he is the man of honour. To everyone he looks cold from outside, nobody will mess up with him, but for Ling Xi - he will do everything whatever it takes to safe her. Ling Xi is the love of his life.

I love Jiu Chen costumes, my heart’s beat seeing him in white.
Ni ni as Ling Xi/Lin Mo may not as beautiful as Yang Mi in TMOPB but her acting is great especially when she goes through trials in mortal world.

The early episodes are rather slow, in the middle it starts good and is just as good as TMOPB.
All casts play so well, the story is not complicated, and many words of wisdom.
The music is beautiful and touchy, reminding you of your deepest love.

I have rewatched this drama many times and still falling in love with the beauty of the story.

You will not regret spending many hours to finish 60 episodes, it’s so worth to watch!

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Love and Destiny is great, like reeeallly GREAT!! The plot, the characterization, the scene, BGM, and of course the actors and actresses, especially the main lead. We know already that the story has the same production and director as Ten Miles of Peach Blossom, and even though the title doesn't include the 3L3L like in the TMOPB, but the concept and storyline wise are pretty much like the TMOPB. I like TMOPB, it's good, but Love and Destiny has its own charm that has drawn me more rather than the TMOPB.

I pay attention to Chang Chen's facial expression because I read in many comments that he was rather stoic and expressionless. I have to disagree on that. I think as the High God himself, Jiu Chen couldn't show his feelings blatantly for others to see. And his title as the God of War has its own reputation as a fearless one. I guess if you have lived a hundred thousand years with millions of people looking up to you, your facial expression will be stuck like Jiu Chen, to be always on guard. For me, Chang Chen nailed the character perfectly. Just see in his eyes, it will tell of what his feelings are. AND he's not old for his character, thank you. The God of War himself IS an old god, so it won't be suitable for young actor to portray the character. Chang Chen is perfect for the character. No, I'm not in anyway defending the actor, once again it's purely my opinion.

And for Ni Ni, I LOVES her acting! This is the first time I see her acting and indeed she has great acting skills. The way she expressed the character's feelings was shown on her face. All the gestures, naivety, her eyes movement, all of them are not overbearing and natural. I especially like her interaction with her mortal father. The familial love between father and daughter has brought tears to my eyes. Really-really touching and lovely. She is funny and cute in the beginning (that last until the end) then become a badass later. I think Ni Ni has delivered Ling Xi's character perfectly.

I like stories that is reasonable, like everything has its own reasons of why things happened. And in this drama, the perfect example for this is why Jiu Chen falls for Ling Xi. He is the God of War and has lived a hundred thousand years alone. In the beginning he kept Ling Xi to watch over her because of a valid reason, but as time went on, he became fond of her. The valid reason and the unknown fondness made him watched over her closely but at the same time it made him got closer to her. Then when their background story was revealed, all the reasons were there and it didn't feel forced to think that's why he would fall for her. The reason is there and the drama has executed it perfectly.

Then about the love story of the main lead. I like the chemistry between the two main lead, not cheesy but romantic to the boots. The drama portrayed the development of Jiu Chen's feelings in subtle but clear way. His love for Ling Xi is childlike yet also mature, not cliche but very sweet. And Ling Xi’s love for Jiu Chen is naive in the beginning but later it develops into a selfless and trusting. I like that their misunderstanding didn’t get draggy and once again, even though they have to be separated for a couple of times, it was reasonable. Their love story just making you craving for more and more. The approachment of the love story is well written and the actor also executed it fabulously. I found myself blushing at some endearments and lines. And many of the scene made me giggled like a little girl. And I have to say that Jiu Chen IS really THE man!

About the villain. I can say that the villain has successfully made me hate every guts that she had. That means that the actor was great on doing her job. How many times I had cursed her just to disappear and go die. I think it would be great if the drama sticks with her for the villain part rather than switch the main villain to another person. It lacked the reasons and for me the reasons for him to become the main villain isn’t enough. And for some reasons, I found many characters died too quickly near the end of the drama.

The drama has many great supporting characters that’s really support the drama. Most of their part doesn’t feel not needed and the main story flow is not disturbed by their emersion. In fact, the humor and drama that they bring has brought another flavour to the drama. And they are there for reasons that will be revealed as the story goes on.

The ending is a bit rushed and there are some unanswered questions. I think it will be great if we have 2 more episodes for that unanswered questions.

And then the pets. Be careful, the cuteness of it really-really-really, like REALLY makes you want to have them. You have been warned.

The music is beautiful and all the songs are great. It matched well with all the scenes in the drama. I really like one of the songs call Water from Heaven (水从天上来) sung by Zhang Bi Chen and Zheng Yun Long.

All the scenery is beautiful and the CGI is better than the previous TMOPB.

All in all, it’s a splendid drama. In fact, it is my favorite drama this year. Rewatch value? 10 out of 10. You won’t be disappointed to binge watch this drama.

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I am a huge romance fan. I know that there have been comments about the main lead actor that plays Jiu Chen (Chang Chen) but honestly the role was created for him. I cannot see any other actor pulling off that role. Ni Ni off course was amazing. The chemistry between Ni Ni and Chan Chen was amazing. This drama takes you on a bit of an emotional roller coaster but it is so worth it. No love triangle to worry about. Amazing OST. Episodes 38-60 - I watched raw and will watch again when subs are complete on viki. This drama is so good that you don't realize you are at the finish line until you get there.

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Outstanding acting from the leads

I'm not really a fan of xianxia but they seem to be everywhere in cdramaland so I watch them almost reluctantly. There are not many that I found to be enjoyable but this drama is a definite exception. It was EXCELLENT. Most of the credit goes to the main leads -- Chang Chen and Ni Ni. They were just so superb in their roles I was willing to overlook the plot weirdness in certain parts. I saw so many complaints about them, especially Chang Chen (whom I admire greatly), but they are incredible. They elevate this drama by many levels. The acting is great for the most of the characters. It also helps that the story is written so that the characters (even the support/side) are consistent to their characterization and not used as plot devices.

The sets and effects were also very good. Production did not cheap out. Everything looked great. And I cannot praise the OST enough. I listen to the soundtrack all the time. So good.

I'll just say this for all the comparisons to TMOPB: I skipped through so much of that show that I barely remember the main plot. The acting and the story for Love and Destiny far superior. But each to their own.

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I have never felt so driven to write a review for any show. (This is the first review I've ever written). Mainly because I feel like it is such a chore.
BUT please!! If the ending of a drama is important to you, DO NOT WATCH THIS SHOW. The drama has a happy ending, but ZERO explanation as to how it came about. Many (important) aspects are left unexplained and overall the story is less than satisfactory. Many times, while claiming something can't be done, the characters will simply end up achieving the "impossible" without so much as an explanation.

Kudos to the actors and costumes though. On an unrelated note, if you're here to find a drama to watch please watch Eternal Love. It has a very similar story line as this and immensely better than this.

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Overly Ambitious and Unnecessarily Long

Love and Destiny has too many characters, too many plot lines, and too little of the story. If many of the unnecessary scenes were dropped and the script tightened in general, this could have been a great 40 episode drama. Alas, that is not the case.

Romance: This drama is filled to the brim with couples. There’s a total of five of them and many more characters with unrequited love, but most of what we see is either comedic or tragic. The comedy helps to lighten the overall gloomy nature of the drama, but it also makes it so that romantic and heart-warming moments are far and few in-between. The main leads are also no different. Their romance often takes backstage before the story, and there’s a huge power imbalance between them on top of that, which the male lead abuses. He withholds information, lies, and even knocks out the female lead when he does not wish to answer her questions.

Villains: For the most part, instead of villains, this drama has antagonists. They’re not evil, but have different worldviews compared to the main characters, which results in clashes. This makes them much more interesting and keeps the viewer on their toes. Which ones will become evil? Which ones will become friends? Or will they all remain enemies till the end? Of course, there’s also a main villain in the story, but he’s a common mad guy, so he’s not that interesting.

Story: Slow and overcrowded. Since there are three main couples, two minor ones, four well-developed antagonists, and a few other important characters, the story moves at a snail’s pace. You can watch two-three episodes and then describe them in a single sentence because for every event, you get a number of scenes with how different characters react to it. This is fine at first, but after the thirtieth episode or such, it gets tiresome and boring. Not every single storyline is great, and the drama has a tendency to indulge in slice-of-life scenes. They would be fine in any other drama, but in this one, where the plot already barely moves, it just makes you want to tear your hair out.

Overall, the drama’s start was strong and there were some scenes that hit hard, but they were in the minority. Most of the second half of the drama was draggy and I skipped through whole episodes without missing anything major. I would not recommend it to anyone unless they have too much time on their hands.

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WOW JUST WOW!

Oh my God, writers did great with this. Croton thank you for sharing this Drama Series. I love Croton! I watch this with and without the English subs. I couldn't stop watching it. I understood every move, passion, drama, romance, of this drama without the English Subs. I just finished tv drama on another site with completed English subs. I will go back to re-watch for a continual viewing. This Drama series captured my heart and soul. The "Agape Love" is in this one. Thank you so much to the writers. NiNi the Actress, I mean you did an awesome job, if you are not on my favorite Actress list, you are now. This is my first time seeing Chang Chen in a drama series and it looks like this is his first Drama Series. They couldn't have done this without you. OMGosh the visual effects were on point! That little monster "dog" was perfection! I love him... I want one! lol I believe all the supporting actors and actresses should have been named "main leads" seeing how they made this storyline come together. Thanking ALL of you for making this a beautiful story! *applauding* *bravo* *well done* *standing ovation*!

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If stuff like Ice Fantasy with lousy CGI and weird costumes got so many people watching, Love & Destiny really should deserve more attention.
Although there are many similarities with TMOPB's plot, such as going into the human realm and fighting the demon lord, Love & Destiny is ultimately about 2 normal people falling in love and going through so many obstacles to be together. This is a fundamental difference compared to TMOPB, where it's basically a love story of the bigshots, that is between the Crown Price/High God & Queen/High Goddess. For me watching this drama has been a really thrilling roller-coaster ride where I cried and laughed many times.

The sets, costumes, and cinematography are stunning as well. Even the evil characters live in gorgeous buildings. I hope all future xuanhuan dramas would be this beautifully shot.

The one "flaw" about this drama is that the cast is not as good-looking as TMOPB or Ashes of Love. For me, this does not matter. Even if it does, the plot, cinematography, and great characters more than offset that. However, I still get the feeling that Love & Destiny's core target is different from Ashes of Love or TMOPB. My guesses are:
- Ashes of Love: Teenagers + People who like idols
- Ten Miles of Peach Blossom: Early Twenties + Heavy Romance Drama Fans
- Love & Destiny: Late Twenty & Onwards + Quality Seekers

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